THE FUTURE OF SPYING: Earth’s atmosphere can be turned into massive surveillance system using LASERS, scientists discover

British firm unveils research which shows that the atmosphere could be used to spy on ordinary citizens in unprecedented detail

BAE Systems are designing a directed energy laser system that could allow military commanders to spy on enemy activities from space.

BAE believe that within 50 years, one of their aircraft could use an “atmospheric lens” to observe people from very long distances using the Earth’s atmosphere as a tool.

The lasers temporarily change the Earth’s atmosphere into magnifying glass structures which can alter light and radio signals.

This means users can listen into radio signals for thousands of miles.

A spokesperson said: “Within the next 50 years, scientists at BAE Systems believe that battlefield commanders could deploy a new type of directed energy laser and lens system, called a Laser Developed Atmospheric Lens which is capable of enhancing commanders’ ability to observe adversaries’ activities over much greater distances than existing sensors.”

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The concept mimics the ionosphere, a naturally occurring layer of the Earth’s atmosphere which can be reflective to radio waves.

The radio signals bounce off the ionosphere allowing them to travel very long distances through the air and over the Earth’s surface, picking up every radio signal in its wake.

BAE Systems claimed the lens could also be used as a form of “deflector shield” too.